4.7 Billion Dollar Gasoline Plant Coming Our Way
Nacero Inc., a Houston based corporation was granted a 10 year property tax abatement in Tuesdays Commissioners meeting. The company has plans to build a $4.7 billion dollar gasoline manufacturing plant 15 miles Southwest of Penwell. Nacero is looking to build a facility that would convert natural gas to methanol and then the methanol into gasoline. Upon completion it would have the capacity of producing 90,000 barrels per day. The project is planning to start construction in November and begin commercial operations in the final quarter of 2024. It will create more than 250 new jobs, each paying at least $81,000 per year.
Why Hurry Up And Issue Debt For A Project That Is Years Down The Road
For years elected official have talked about and agreed that our water plant was in serious need of some repairs and at risk of failing hundreds of thousands of people. During this time the city raked in somewhere between $50 and $100 million dollars worth of revenue that was supposed to go towards the much needed repairs at the water plant, yet did not. Millions squandered on frivolous on projects while the water plant was overlooked. Residents saw property tax and water rate increases at a time that the city officials should have taken care of the cities basic needs.
Mayor Joven is looking to take care of this without putting more tax burden on the citizens. The city has the means to pay for the much needed repairs without issuing more debt that would cause future tax and utility increases. It has been my experience that once rates go up they never come back down. The city currently has $21.8 million dollars coming from Biden’s American Rescue Plan, re-purpose the $10 million dollars set aside for dog pound, apply for $10 million dollars from Odessa Development Corporation because it’s sales tax revenue and this is a worthy project, take $20 million dollars from the budget to get started on the plant and take the rest out of each yearly budget throughout the 5 years it takes to complete the repairs. Why would we want to hurry up and write debt for a project that cannot be started for more than a year and is expected to take 5 years to complete. Detra White, Tom Sprawls, Steve Thompson and Mari Willis are all pushing for this debt right now.
Committee Appointments Give Promise To Library’s Future
The Ector County Library has approximately 750 visitor a day amounting to more than 200,000 people per year. Not everyone can afford a computer and internet and appreciate having the library and the resources it makes available to them. Libraries are important cornerstones of a healthy community. Our library is a unique and valuable resource and a lifeline to the world and all the information in it. The resources offered by the library help raise the education levels of society as a whole. Surprisingly, the book circulation and library patronage in Ector County per capita are amount Texas’ highest. Our library has a computer lab, audio visual department, offer notary service and have multiple children’s programs. The internet does not make the library unnecessary anymore than it does a bookstore. Let’s push for giving the library the funding needed to ensure that knowledge and technology are available to everyone, not just those who can afford their own. At Tuesday’s Commissioners meeting Judge Hays announced the appointment of a library committee to study the counties needs for a library and whether or it would be cost effective to repair the current facility or build a new one. Those appointed to this committee are Craig Stoker, Randy Ham, Sondra Eoff, Peggy Dean and Tim Ogilvy. I trust that this fine group of individuals will thoroughly research the facts and work together for the better of this community.